


nobody ought to be alone on christmas

by Nearly



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Christmas, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Soft Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Soft Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, They're both soft, everyone knows it but them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:53:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28044990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nearly/pseuds/Nearly
Summary: Maddie gets invited to Christmas dinner with Chimney, so Buck plans to spend the day alone. Eddie doesn't think anyone should be alone on Christmas, least of all his best friend. Somehow, everyone knows what's going on except them.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 68
Kudos: 456





	nobody ought to be alone on christmas

**Author's Note:**

> this was for the [911 christmas calendar](https://merry911xmas.tumblr.com/) on tumblr :) title is from "all alone on christmas" by darlene love.

_ Christmas Eve, 8:23 AM _

“Hey, Maddie,” Buck greets as he hops out of his jeep, phone pressed to his ear. “I’m about to start my shift. What’s up?”

_ “Me too,” _ Maddie says on the other end,  _ “so I’ll try to be quick. I just wanted to ask you something.” _

“Go for it,” Buck prompts. He glances at his watch, notes that he still has a few minutes before his shift officially starts, and leans back against the side of his jeep to listen to his sister. 

_ “Chimney invited me to Christmas dinner with the Lee’s tomorrow night,”  _ she says. 

“Okay, and?” Buck answers. “That sounds nice.” 

Maddie pauses, and then says,  _ “Is that okay?” _

“You’re asking me for permission to have dinner with your boyfriend?” Buck asks, confused. 

_ “Well, yeah,” _ Maddie says, just as Eddie’s truck pulls up in the spot next to Buck.  _ “I know we don’t have any official plans or anything, but I didn’t want to leave you alone with no warning.”  _

“I’m no stranger to spending Christmas alone, Mads. I’ll be fine,” Buck shrugs, flashing Eddie a smile as he climbs out of his truck. He gestures at the phone and Eddie nods in understanding, giving him a wave and heading inside instead of stopping to talk. 

_ “Buck…” _ Maddie says quietly. She sounds a little sad. 

_ “Oh, _ no, not like that. I didn’t mean it like that,” Buck hurries to say. He pushes a hand through his hair and sighs. “I just meant—I just meant, I still get Christmas morning with you, right?”

_ “Of course.”  _

“Then the rest doesn’t matter to me. I can entertain myself.” 

_ “You could come,” _ Maddie offers,  _ “He’s your friend too, you know.”  _

Buck breathes out a huff of laughter. “Dinner with my sister's boyfriend’s parents, Maddie? No thanks.” 

_ “Shoot, I really have to get to work, but—”  _ Maddie stops and calls something to someone on her end, voice muffled. She’s back a half second later.  _ “Are you sure?” _

“I’m sure,” Buck assures her, “Now go tell Chim he can take you to dinner, okay?” 

_ “Okay,” _ she finally agrees.  _ “Thanks, Buck.” _

“Merry Christmas, Mads,” Buck says brightly. She returns the sentiment and ends the call quickly, in a hurry to get her shift started. 

Buck slips his phone back into his pocket and lets his shoulders slump for just a moment. He’ll admit he’s a little bummed to not be spending Christmas night with his sister, but it’s really not as big a deal as she seemed to think it was. He’ll just hang out on his couch with some cheesy Christmas movies and eat too many candy canes, probably. 

He gives himself just a second to wallow, and then he heads into the station and get his shift started. By the time he’s officially clocked in and changed into his uniform, most of the team has already gathered around the couches in the loft, talking animatedly. 

“Buck!” Hen calls to him loudly as he jogs up the stairs, “got any big plans for tomorrow?” 

“Just gifts in the morning with Maddie,” he answers. He drops down next to her on the couch, slinging an arm over to rest across the back. “Probably just hanging around the apartment after she leaves. Kinda weird to have Christmas off for once, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Hen laughs, “Karen’s going all out this year, said she wants to cram in as much holiday spirit as she can, since I’ll be home for once.” 

“That’s sweet,” Bobby chimes in as he comes over from the kitchen. He tosses a candy cane to Buck, who catches it with both hands and grins. “Is she—”

“Wait,” Eddie says, cutting Bobby off, “Sorry, Bobby, I just—Buck, you’re spending Christmas day alone?”

Bobby, for his part, manages to look confused rather than offended at being interrupted. He turns to shoot Buck a look, too. “You’re doing what?” 

“Maddie made plans with Chim,” Buck explains, and gestures to where Chimney is stretched out on one of the other couches, typing away on his phone and completely ignoring the conversation. “That’s probably her, actually. He’s taking her to his parents place for dinner.”

“So you’re just going to sit around all day by yourself?” Eddie asks. 

“I guess?” Buck says, “It’s not a big deal. Why are you being so weird about this?” 

“I’m not being weird about it,” Eddie grumbles, shooting Hen a glare when she laughs quietly. “I just don’t think you should have to be alone on Christmas. Why don’t you come over, spend the day with Chris and me?” 

“Really?” Buck says, trying—and probably failing—not to sound too eager. “But I thought you were having dinner with—”

“You can come to dinner too,” Eddie cuts in. “Seriously. We’d love to have you.” 

“Okay,” Buck agrees, because he’s not about to refuse an offer to spend the day with the Diaz family. Eddie smiles, looking all soft around the edges, and Buck’s heart does a funny little flip in his chest. While the rest of the team picks their conversations back up around him, he busies himself with peeling back the plastic on his candy cane so he doesn’t do something embarrassing, like tell Eddie to his face how much he loves when he smiles like that. 

* * *

_ Christmas Eve, 10:02 PM _

After his shift ends, Buck spends the rest of that evening wrapping gifts and watching Christmas movies, just like he’d planned. The only difference is that now, when he settles in front of the tv to watch _ Love, Actually _ , there’s two extra gifts in the pile on his coffee table. He’d wanted to get something for Isabel and Pepa, as a thank you for the incredibly last minute dinner invitation, so he’d stopped at the mall on his way home and taken a look. With some help from Maddie—which included insisting he send her a picture of nearly everything in the store—he settled on some pretty earrings for Pepa and a simple necklace for Isabel. He’ll admit he was a little out of his depth, but Maddie assured him his choices were good, so he’d trusted her judgement. 

For Chris, he’d gotten a set of Lego to let him build a fire station. Predictable, yes, but the kid had pointed it out on their way past the store the last time the three of them went to the movies, saying that was the last one he needed to complete the set—seeing as he already had the Lego police station and hospital. And for Eddie, he’d stumbled across the same flannel shirt he knew was Eddie’s favourite, but he’d managed to rip it badly the last time he’d worn it. So Buck figured he’d pick him up a new one, since he liked it so much. If there’s the added bonus of it being  _ Buck’s _ favourite of Eddie’s shirts, too, well. That’s his business. He wraps them up while his movie plays, and by the end he’s managed a half-decent job.  _ And  _ his wrapping paper is all matching. Score. 

He stacks them all next to his gifts for the 118, and switches his tv off as the credits start to roll. There’s not much else for him to do tonight, and with Maddie coming over early the next morning, he figures he’ll just head upstairs and crash. 

Just as he’s crawling into bed, his phone lights up with a text from Eddie.

_ (11:09 PM) u planning to be here for lunch? _

Buck writes back,  _ yeah, if that’s ok? _

_ (11:11 PM) obviously _

Buck grins at that and sends back a smiley emoji. He sets his alarm for the morning, puts his phone aside, and flops back onto his bed. He falls asleep with a smile still on his face, thinking about  _ obviously,  _ like there’s no doubt that he’d be welcome in the Diaz house, no questions asked. 

* * *

_ Christmas Day, 9:00 AM _

Christmas morning with Maddie is quiet, mostly. It’s just the two of them, making a mess of Buck’s kitchen while they attempt to make french toast, and then making a mess of the rest of his apartment when they get around to opening gifts. Long story short: wrapping paper makes great projectiles if you scrunch it up enough, and your sibling’s face is the perfect target. By the time noon rolls around it’s everywhere, there’s soft holiday music playing from Buck’s speakers, and Maddie is apologizing  _ again  _ for making plans to go out to dinner. 

“Maddie, it’s  _ fine,” _ Buck insists, and okay, maybe he’s laughing at her a little. At this point he thinks it’s justified, seeing as he’s told her just how fine it is about twelve times in the last ten minutes. “Really. I made plans, anyway.” 

“You did?” Maddie looks up from where she’s carefully placing her gifts into the bag she’d brought. 

“Yeah, Eddie heard about your plans for dinner,” Buck explains, “and he invited me to spend the day with him and Chris, instead of hanging around here alone. I think we’re going to Isabel’s after?”

“Oh,” Maddie says, pleased, and she smiles brightly at him.  _ “Oh. _ I see.”

“What?” Buck asks, confused. Maddie just lifts an eyebrow, and realization dawns on him. “Wait, no, Maddie…”

“So the man you have a crush on—”

“I never should have told you that—”

“—invited you to spend Christmas with his family? Just because he didn’t want you to be alone?”

“It’s not like that,” Buck mutters, cheeks flushed. 

“Uh huh,” Maddie says, “sure it isn’t.” 

“It’s  _ not,” _ Buck insists. 

“No, no, of course not,” Maddie agrees pleasantly, as she adjusts the strap on her bag. “Whatever you say.” 

Buck glares halfheartedly. “Don’t you have a dinner date to get ready for?”

“It can wait a few minutes,” Maddie says, leaning back against the kitchen island. She’s looking at him like she wants to ask for more details, or tease him more, neither of which he wants to give her a chance to do. 

“Okay, well,  _ I  _ have lunch waiting for me at Eddie’s, so,” he says pointedly, nodding towards the door. 

“He’s making you  _ lunch?”  _ Maddie says incredulously. 

_ “Maddie.”  _

She throws up her hands, backing off, still grinning. “Okay, okay, I’m going!” 

“Thank you,” Buck says, moving to hold the door for her. “Say hi to Chim for me. And  _ don’t _ tell him what his gift is, no matter how much you want to.” 

“I wouldn't dream of it,” Maddie promises. She ducks in to give him a quick hug, and then she backs off and starts down the hall. “Have fun today! Merry Christmas!”

Buck rolls his eyes, but calls back, “Merry Christmas!”

He shuts the door behind her and turns back to survey his apartment. He’ll have to tidy up later, but for now he wants to get on his way to Eddie’s place. It’s not what Maddie thinks—not for Eddie, at least—but that doesn’t mean Buck wants to be late, so he sidesteps the mess and jogs up the stairs to get changed. 

* * *

_ Christmas Day, 12:30 PM _

He pulls into Eddie’s driveway with a bag full of gifts in the back of his jeep, and a mind full of questions that won’t leave him alone, because he can’t stop thinking about what Maddie had said. It’s not like that. It’s not. He would have noticed if it was, right? 

Buck likes Eddie like that, has liked him for a while, but he doesn’t think Eddie feels the same. Maddie seems to think there’s something there, though, and Buck desperately wants her to be right this time. 

_ (12:32 PM) u coming in, or were u just gonna sit there all day? _

The vibration of the text in Buck’s jacket pocket startles him enough to cut off that train of thought, and he realizes he’s definitely sat in the driveway for long enough for it to start to be weird. He doesn’t bother replying, just grabs the gifts out of the back seat and hops out, heading for the front door. It opens just before he gets there, and an exuberant Christopher comes tumbling out towards him. 

“Hi, Buck!” he says, arms open wide for a hug. Buck wraps him up in one immediately. 

“Hey, buddy!” Buck responds, “Merry Christmas!” 

Eddie joins them on the porch a moment later, and when Buck looks up he sees that soft smile again, the one that makes his heart do that funny little flip—he can’t help but smile back. 

“Right on time,” Eddie says, “Lunch is ready.” 

“You cooked?” Buck asks, disbelieving, as Christopher finally lets go enough to let him stand up. 

“Not a chance,” Eddie answers, huffing out a laugh, “but I did order from that pizza place you like, and it’s getting cold.”

_ He ordered from the pizza place I like, _ Buck thinks to himself. Damn. He’s starting to sound like Maddie. It’s just pizza, that’s regular and normal. Nothing to see here. 

“Lead the way,” he says, instead of something stupid like  _ hey can I kiss you right now? _

They herd Chris back into the house and go straight for the pizza, like they always do. It’s normal, except this time it’s Christmas, and Eddie ordered from the pizza place Buck likes even though it’s not the closest or cheapest one, and Buck really,  _ really _ wants Maddie to be right this time. 

* * *

_ Christmas Day, 2:15 PM _

“This one’s for you, Chris,” Buck tells him, when they’ve finished off the pizza and sprawled out on the couch by Eddie’s Christmas tree. Buck hands off the wrapped gift to the kid and laughs when he shakes it, his eyes widening at the unmistakable rattle of plastic pieces. He rips the paper off and gasps dramatically in the way only a kid who just got exactly what he wanted could manage. 

“The Lego fire station,” Chris says, sounding almost reverent, and then lifts the box to show his dad. “Dad, look! Now I have all three!” 

“Wow, the full set,” Eddie says. He ruffles Christopher’s curls, looking like he’s planning on saying something else, but the kid is already distracted by pulling open the cardboard flaps to get at the pieces. 

“Thanks, Buck,” Chris says after a moment, stopping just long enough to give Buck a quick hug, and then heading right back to his Lego set. Eddie smiles fondly at him, but turns back to Buck when he nudges at his arm. 

“This one is yours,” Buck says, handing a smaller box over. 

“You didn’t have to—” Eddie starts. 

“Oh come on, you knew I was going to,” Buck cuts him off, and then looks pointedly at the envelope on the side table by Eddie’s arm, that he can see from here is labeled with his name. “Just like I knew you were getting me one too.” 

“...Okay, fair,” Eddie says, and takes the gift. He passes Buck’s gift over too, before tearing into the paper on the box in front of him. 

Buck watches him tear the paper off, open the box, and there in all it’s brand new glory—his favourite shirt. Or, well, his new favourite shirt. Eddie pulls it out and inspects it. 

“Is this…?”

“I know you really liked your other one,” Buck explains, “and I found the same one, so I picked it up. Since you went and wrecked the last one.” 

“Thanks, man, I love it,” Eddie says, and Buck can hear the honesty in his voice. He nods at the envelope Buck is holding. “Now your turn. Go on.” 

Buck flips it over in his hands and slides his thumb under the flap to tear it open. Inside he finds two small slips of paper, that he shakes out into his palm. It takes him a moment to realize what they are, and then a bright grin splits his face. 

“Those are, uh, tickets to a talk from that author you like. That historian?” Eddie says, and Buck nods excitedly. 

“Yeah, I’ve read like, three of her books already,” Buck says. “I didn’t even know she was going to be here.” 

_ But Eddie knew, _ Buck’s mind supplies,  _ because he listens, and he remembers. _

“I figured we could go together,” Eddie suggests. Buck’s heart skips a beat. 

“I’d like that,” he manages to say. He wants to say,  _ that sounds like a date.  _ Wants to ask, _ Is it a date? Are you asking me on a date?  _

He doesn’t say anything, though, because Eddie is glancing at his watch and jumping up, muttering something about being late if they don’t get moving. He ushers Christopher up and into his bedroom to change into something nice for dinner.

“Should I have worn something fancier?” Buck asks, a little concerned that he’s underdressed in his plain button up. 

“What? No, you look great,” Eddie assures him, and after a moment's hesitation, reaches back over the couch to grab his new flannel. “I just wanted him in something other than a t-shirt. We’ll be back out in a second.” 

He disappears down the hall and Buck just stares after him, his mind replaying  _ no, you look great, _ on a loop. 

* * *

_ Christmas Day, 5:00 PM _

Buck finds himself enjoying his evening with the Diaz family far more than he thought he would. It’s not like he’s a stranger to Isabel and Pepa, but he’s not close with them either—they’ve met a few times, and they know he’s Eddie’s friend, but the three of them haven’t had a chance to really get to know each other before. Despite that, any awkwardness he was expecting is absent. Isabel’s house is warm and welcoming, and she greets them at the door with a kiss on the cheek for each of them. 

They find Pepa in the kitchen, and she ushers them over to help with the cooking almost immediately. Buck hovers at first, unsure, but soon enough she and Isabel are both bossing him around, and he’s laughing along with them when Eddie gets chased out to set the table. 

There’s a moment just as Buck is pulling a dish out of the oven, as directed, where he glances over at the doorway to the dining room and sees Eddie just standing there, stack of plates in hand, watching him. He has a happy, relaxed look on his face, and it makes Buck want to grab him by the collar and kiss him stupid. But then Eddie blinks and seems to realize he’s been caught, and the moment is broken. He turns and heads back to the dining room and Buck sets the dish down. Before he can think on that too hard, he’s being sent through to the dining room to set some of the food out and gather his boys for dinner. 

It happens again halfway through the meal. Buck looks up from his plate and catches Eddie watching him from across the table. Buck smiles at him, and he smiles back, and there goes his heart flipping around in his chest again. It starts to dawn on him then, as Eddie turns to answer a question from Pepa, that maybe Maddie  _ was  _ right. He wants that. He looks at Eddie again—his expression so soft, so open, it’s driving Buck a little bit insane—and he just  _ wants. _

* * *

_ Christmas Night, 8:35 PM _

“I like him,” Buck hears Isabel say, from where he’s stopped just before the doorway into the kitchen. He doesn’t mean to eavesdrop, but he’d been clearing the dishes from the table and then they’d started talking and he’d felt weird interrupting and, well, now they’re talking about him. 

“I’m glad,” Eddie answers. 

“You like him too, don’t you?” Isabel asks, just as Buck is starting to back away to keep from accidentally hearing the rest of a conversation he’s suddenly sure he wasn’t meant to hear. 

“Of course I do,” Eddie says, and Buck hears the clinking of a dish being set in the sink. “He’s my best friend.” 

“But it’s more than that, no?” Isabel presses. 

“Abuela…” Eddie trails off, but he doesn’t deny it. Buck is stuck in place, gripping a stack of dirty plates, because Eddie  _ didn’t deny it. _

“I can deal with those,” Pepa says from behind him, startling him badly enough that he jumps a little. She’s reaching for the plates in his hand, but then she catches the look on his face. She looks from him to the kitchen door, back to him. 

“Ah,” she says, tone quiet and understanding, “let me take these. You go sit down. I’ll send him out, too.” 

Pepa takes the plates and steps into the kitchen, leaving Buck standing empty handed in the hallway, trying to get his shit together. 

* * *

_ Christmas Night, 8:40 PM _

Eddie wanders into the living room five minutes after Buck’s hallway revelation, looking the tiniest bit nervous. Buck sits up a bit from where he’s ensconced himself on the couch, as Eddie flops down in the seat next to him. Chris is nowhere to be seen, but neither are Pepa or Isabel, so Buck figures they’re keeping him occupied elsewhere. 

“Hey,” Buck says, trying to gauge whether or not Pepa had mentioned what Buck had overheard. 

“Hey,” Eddie responds quietly. They look at each other for a long moment, and then Eddie says; “So you heard that, huh?” 

Buck’s breath stutters in his chest. Maddie was right, and Eddie likes him back, and he’s trying really hard not to say something dumb and embarrassing like—

“You  _ like  _ me,” he says. Oh, fuck. What is he, twelve? 

Eddie laughs, a startled sound, like he hadn’t intended to. And there’s that smile again. Buck fucking  _ loves  _ that smile. 

“Yeah, I like you,” Eddie says, almost shy, “is that okay?” 

“Obviously,” Buck answers, because he can’t resist. “I mean—I like you too. A lot.” 

“Okay.” Eddie’s smile grows, and Buck knows his own probably matches in intensity. Eddie shifts a little closer on the couch, and he’s still looking so soft, but he looks more sure of himself too. More confident than before. 

“Can I kiss you?” Buck asks, because he finally feels like he can. 

“I’d like that,” Eddie answers—and now Buck is  _ sure  _ that was an offer for a date, before—and leans in. Buck meets him halfway, and then they’re pressed right up against each other. Eddie’s lips are just as soft as he thought they would be, and it’s  _ incredible.  _

They break apart briefly, but they’re still alone in the living room and the golden light of the Christmas tree behind Eddie is shining on his face, and that wonderful smile, and Buck can’t help it when he leans in to kiss him again. 

**Author's Note:**

> i meant for this to be short but then it got out of hand. oops? anyway, drop a comment or some kudos, and if you wanna yell at me you know where to find me ;)


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